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As 2014 draws to a close, Bekins Van Lines will reflect on another great year and the great people that shared it with us. Check out some of the highlights from 2014.

We Moved People…

Bekins Van Lines continued to do what it does best – move people. With 123 years of moving experience under its belt, Bekins continues leading the industry in relocation services. Bekins helped thousands transition seamlessly throughout the country and will continue to do so in 2015.

We said hello…

There were 33 smiling faces that joined the Bekins corporate team throughout the year.

Bekins continued to feed the hungry in conjunction with Move for Hunger. Wheaton agents offered to pick up the unwanted, non-perishable food items from those who are moving and delivering it to their local food banks. As of Dec. 15, agents have collected 45,274 lbs. of food – that’s 37,728 meals!

Bekins Van Lines also continued to support Keaton’s Korral at Give Kids the World. Keaton’s Korral has had 7,300 families each year have been able to experience the fun of horse and pony rides, as they don western hats and get to live out their cowboy dreams.

For Giving Tuesday on December 2nd, Bekins announced it will match ALL donations to Keaton’s Korral through January 31st. We are over half way to the goal of $22,000! Please consider contributing to this amazing cause at www.gktw.org/keatonskorral.

Employees of Bekins delivered donations to the Ronald McDonald House of Indiana for Santa’s Workshop. Santa’s Workshop allowed parents and siblings staying at the Ronald McDonald House to shop for gifts at no cost during the holiday season.

The corporate office collected more than 430 items from employees in drop boxes from early November through mid-December. Items included everything from pajamas, slippers and personal care items to toys, books and puzzles. From cash donations, Bekins also donated a selection of gift cards. The team that delivered the donations were treated to a tour of Ronald McDonald House – check out the photos from the tour.

We Learned…

In the first half of the year Bekins hosted its annual sales boot camp at the corporate office in Indianapolis and regional meetings in Atlantic City, N.J., Indianapolis, Ind. and Las Vegas, Nev.

The 60th annual partnership conference at the Hyatt Regency in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Nov. 5-8. The four-day conference featured eight educational sessions, awards, keynote speaker Dan Coughlin and fun activities. Check out the photos from the conference.

You already know that there’s no place like home for the holidays-but you’ve just left your old, comfortable home and its many holiday memories behind. You’ve left old friends and family members who usually celebrate with you. You might be dreading your next holiday season instead of looking forward to it.

Moving to a new home doesn’t consign you to a lonely holiday, though. In fact, celebrating your first holiday season in a new house can an exciting time full of new and interesting experiences. Follow the tips below to banish the holiday moving blues and enjoy the holiday season to the fullest.

1. Learn about Holiday Activities in Your Area

Maybe your hometown had an ice skating rink where you took the kids every winter. Or your old city had an annual lights-on celebration that you and your significant other attended every year without fail.

You’re probably not going to find the exact same celebrations and venues in your new city, and it’s okay to feel sad about that.

But even though it can’t replicate the exact experiences from your hometown, your new town probably has something just as fun to offer. In time, you might come to value these new holiday activities just as much-if not more-than those you participated in back home.

Look around for city celebrations not just in your new town, but the surrounding towns. Find out about holiday-themed concerts, sing-alongs, plays, and movies. Look for free activities for kids at local libraries and museums. See if your local recreation center offers hockey lessons. Do whatever you can to get you and your family in the holiday spirit while getting involved in local events.

In the process, you’ll create a new tradition that your family will value throughout the coming years.

2. Put up New Holiday Decorations

Chances are, your traditional holiday decorations are still packed away in a box, and that box is probably buried under hundreds of other boxes. Even if you had the time to hang up holiday decorations while unpacking everything else, chances are low that you could even find the box.

However, holiday decorations can really help you set a holiday mood in your home. If you can’t find your old decorations, buy a few new decorations around town. Even a small wreath on the front door can make your home seem more festive.

Your kids might feel particularly lonely after moving away from their friends during the holiday season. They might not feel like their new house is quite a home yet. To help them turn the new house into their own space, let them choose a few holiday decorations for themselves. Giving kids a choice and a sense of independence can go a long way towards making them feel more comfortable in their new home, as well as getting them excited for the holidays.

3. Get to Know Your Neighbors

You’ll need to meet your neighbors sooner or later. Why not break the ice with a holiday-themed welcoming snack? Bring your favorite homemade cookies or another treat over to your neighbors’ houses. While you’re at it, ask about their favorite local holiday traditions. They’ve lived here longer than you have and probably have some insight into the city’s best holiday activities.

Invite your neighbors for drinks and games sometime during the holiday season. Simply having people in your house can make it feel homier just in time for the holidays.

4. Start a New Tradition

Most people cling to old traditions during the holiday seasons. You might worry that without the annual trip to Grandma’s house on Christmas day or the family Hanukkah gathering at your aunt’s house, the holidays just won’t feel the same.

You’re probably right-you can’t recreate the exact experience you had at your old home. However, this doesn’t mean you should give up hope for a happy holiday season. Since you can’t participate in all of the activities you used to back home, why not start a few new traditions? Ask the kids for input, and decide on a few family activities that everyone can enjoy. Maybe staying in for a hot chocolate and movie night once a week during the holiday season will become your new favorite tradition.

It’s okay to experiment; not everything you try during the first holiday season in your new home will stick. As long as you find a few holiday-centric activities that bring your family closer together during the move, you’ll have spent your time well. You can always adjust your activities next year.

It’s also okay to give the kids-and yourself-a sense of stability by relying on some of your oldest holiday traditions. Modify your most important holiday traditions for your new home. The combination of new and old traditions will make for a dynamic, exciting season.

If you have to move during the holiday season, don’t despair. These tips can help you transform your new home into a holiday friendly zone. Follow the above four steps, and you and your family will get your new home off to the perfect start by making exciting new holiday memories.

You’ve decided to move abroad for work, school, or pleasure, and you feel excited. You have an adventure in front of you, and you can’t wait to get started. You’ve spent months preparing paperwork, hiring a moving company and scoping out the local culture-but you haven’t finished preparing yet. You still need to get ready for one feature of moving abroad: living in a new time zone.

A new time zone may not sound like a big deal, but picture this. When you wake up at 8 am in Indianapolis, people in London have just returned from lunch at 2 pm. Meanwhile, people in Moscow have just sat down to dinner, and people in Sydney have long since gone to bed.

Depending on where you move, you could have a difficult experience while you transition to a new time zone. You might experience jet lag, except you’ll have to put your new house together at the same time, so it might feel even worse. Streamline your transition by using the tips below.

Before the Flight

1. Slowly adapt to the new sleeping schedule.

A month to two weeks before you leave, start reorienting your sleeping schedule to match your destination’s time zone. You should do this slowly by going to bed 15 minutes earlier each day. Keep adding an extra 15 minutes until you’ve fully adjusted. This way, your body will already have the energy it needs to start moving in when you arrive, and you won’t walk around in an exhausted stupor.

2. Rest for three days before you leave.

If you want your body to feel rested after your flight, you’ll need to do most of your resting before the aircraft ever takes off. For three days before your flight, keep activities to a minimum. Don’t leave all of your packing and moving to the last minute.

3. Cut back on alcohol, caffeine, and sugar before you leave.

These substances don’t just keep you awake; they also make it harder for your body to adjust its circadian rhythm. They make your body stressed, which means it’ll feel tight and exhausted when you arrive. Cut these things out of your diet for at least three days prior to your flight. You should also avoid heavy meals the day before your flight. Your body uses heavy meals as part of its circadian rhythm; if you avoid eating them until after you arrive, you’ll adjust more quickly.

4. Drink plenty of water.

A hydrated body also adapts to a new sleep schedule more quickly. Make sure you drink eight cups of water daily during the week preceding your relocation. Your body needs to get used to feeling hydrated-a single glass of water before your flight won’t help you fight jet lag.

During the Flight

1. Drink some more water.

Your hydration won’t last if you don’t drink water on the plane. Aircraft cabins have very dry air, and they’ll dehydrate you quickly. By the time you arrive at your destination, your body won’t have the water it needs to adjust. Maintain your hydration by drinking plenty of water during your flight.

2. Sleep or stay awake (depending on arrival time).

If you’ll arrive early in the morning, you should sleep during the flight. Take off your shoes and curl up with a blanket and pillow. You’ll arrive feeling ready to greet the morning. However, if you will arrive in the evening, don’t sleep. Force yourself to stay awake by stretching and walking down the aisles. Just make sure you don’t disturb the other passengers.

Even if staying awake exhausts you, you’ll arrive tired enough to go to bed at the correct hour for that time zone. This will give you a head start on your transition.

3. Reset your watch.

While you fly, you should get your mind used to thinking about the time in the new area. Set your phone, computer, MP3 player, and watch to the new time zone.

After the Flight

1. Go to bed or eat breakfast (depending on arrival time).If you want a quick transition, you need to act like you’ve always lived in that time zone as soon as you arrive. Don’t take a quick nap, and don’t eat a heavy meal if you plan to go to bed. Do whatever the locals do at that hour.

If you arrive in the morning, go for a brief walk. The sunlight will help your body regulate its rhythm. Breakfast will too. But if you arrive at night, feel free to have a small snack and go straight to bed.

Don’t worry if your body feels strained at first. You have to force it to adapt. It won’t like it at first, but it will catch up eventually.

2. Use melatonin.If you have trouble falling asleep in the new time zone, take melatonin. You may have to buy it before you go abroad though many countries don’t offer it over the counter.

Now that you know how to adjust to your new time zone, you can go forward with confidence. You won’t have to postpone your adventure as you try to recover from your move. If you use these tips, you can jump into the new culture as soon as you land.

We’ll be the first to admit that moving can be exhausting and stressful. It might seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything on your seemingly endless to-do list done. And chances are, cooking and eating healthy might be the last thing on your mind.

But by focusing on eating right during your move, you can save money and a keep few inches off your waistline. Eating healthy foods will also boost your energy, which will provide some much-needed motivation throughout your move.

Keep these healthy eating tips in mind as you prepare to move to your new home.

Before the Move

Free Bekins Weekly Meal Planner

Preparation is the key to any successful move, and the same is true for eating healthy during your move. Before you even start packing, be sure to take the following steps:

Make a plan.

How far out is your move? If it’s two weeks away, create a daily menu for what you’ll eat each day leading up to the move. Good meals to make during a move include soups and stews, casseroles, and pastas. You can make these dishes in bulk, so you’ll be able to eat them for at least two or three days.

Creating a menu will help alleviate the stress you feel as your schedule gets busier and busier. Once you’ve made your meal plan, set aside any utensils you’ll need to make these meals. You can pack these utensils together right before you actually hit the road.

Clear out your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.

It’s tempting to eat out every night leading up to a move. But you’ll save a lot of money by using food that you already have. Plan your daily meals around what you already have in your refrigerator and freezer. You should only buy food to complete these meals.

While looking for a home and filling out paperwork is stressful, packing your belongings is perhaps the most stressful and chaotic task of all. Keep the following tips in mind as you strive to eat healthy while you’re packing:

Keep time in perspective.

At the end of a long day of packing, all you’ll want to do grab some fast food or order a pizza. Keep in mind that it will take about the same amount of time to prepare a meal as it would to have a pizza delivered. Plus, you’ll feel less guilty after preparing a home cooked meal than you would after eating pizza.

Ask for help.

Don’t be afraid to enlist the help of your friends or family members. Chances are, your friends or kids would be happy to whip up a healthy meal. Remember: many hands make light work.

While You’re Traveling

Whether you’re moving a few miles away or across the country, driving will make you tired. And when you’re tired, a burger and fries might sound like the most delicious thing in the world. But heavy, processed fast food will make you even more tired. Eat healthy while you’re on the road by doing the following:

Land O Lakes blog

Pack your meals ahead of time.

Prepare a few meals the night before you hit the road. Store them on ice in a cooler, and be sure to replace ice as needed along the way.

Foods that travel well include:

Fruits: apples, oranges, grapes, and bananas

Vegetables: carrots, celery, snap peas, and bell peppers

Cold pasta

Green salads (be sure to keep dressing in a separate container)

Hummus

Hard-boiled eggs

Jerky

Pre-cooked or chilled meats: turkey, chicken, salmon

Pre-made wraps or sandwiches

Be sure to pack separate meals for every person in the car. This will eliminate the hassle of taking out all of the food and divvying it out to each person.

Plan ahead if you’ll be eating out.

You don’t have to completely avoid eating out en route to your new home. If you want to eat out on the road, find a restaurant that serves healthy options.

Stay busy while you drive.

Driving on long, wide highways can be boring. To keep yourself from dozing off, you may want to munch on salty or sweet snacks. Keep your munching to a minimum by listening to music and talking with those in the car.

After the Move

Arriving at your new home will surely bring a huge sigh of relief. To continue your healthy eating habits and settle in as quickly as possible, keep the following in mind:

Unpack kitchen utensils first.

Remember that box of kitchen utensils you packed right before you moved? That should be the first box you unpack in your new home.

Rather than ordering a pizza from a local restaurant your first night in the new house, make dinner. You can run to a local grocery store to pick up a few items to make your first meal in your new home. This will help make your new house feel more like home.

Keep your meals simple.

You’ll want to keep your meals as simple as possible until you unpack all of your boxes and really settle into your new home. For simple, healthy meals, stock up on proteins and produce.

Moving doesn’t have to take a toll on your emotional and physical health. By eating healthy during your move, you’ll be able to tackle your to-do list and maintain a positive attitude.

Employees of Bekins Van Lines collected and delivered more the 430 items to the Ronald McDonald House of Indiana on Thursday.

The collection took place at the corporate office in Indianapolis mid-November to December to be used for the Santa’s Workshop, which will allow parents and siblings staying at the Ronald McDonald House shop for gifts at no cost during the holiday season. Items included everything from pajamas, slippers and personal care items to toys, books and puzzles. From cash donations, Bekins also donated a selection of gift cards.

Representatives from Bekins were given a tour of the Ronald McDonald House of Indiana that serves 58 families around the world while their children receive life-saving treatment at Indianapolis hospitals. Below are pictures from the tour.

All four of the retirees brought something different to the table and will be missed greatly throughout the organization.

Diane Schueller, Staff Accountant – Diane has worked with the company since 1991 when she moved from Dallas, Texas. She is known as the number cruncher extraordinaire and is precise and detail-oriented with a wealth of industry knowledge.

Famous Quote “It’s six of one, half a dozen of another.”

Sam Napier, Warehouseman – Sam has been a warehouseman for Crown Moving & Storage for 32 years. He is known for always smiling and his calm demeanor. Sam is dependable and always a go-to for advice.

Famous Quote “You trying to kill me?”

Dave Rhodes, Equipment coordinator – Has been with the company since 2000. He has had varied background in the moving industry that stems for over 50 years. He watches over the fleet and the needs of drivers with great precision and detail. When you see a Bekins trailer on the road, Dave is the reason it looks so good.

Famous Quote “It is what it is!”

Gary Reynolds, VP of Operations and Safety – Gary has been with the company for 13 years. The operations department has “hummed along like a well-oiled machine” under his leadership. He is known for his wicked sense of humor. He has worn many hats in the industry, but we are grateful his last one was with Bekins.

Famous Quote “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Diane, Sam, Dave and Gary will all be greatly missed. Thank you for many years of service, loyalty and dedication.

When you first moved to the city for college and stayed to build your career, you may have resolved never to leave. But now you’ve established yourself in your career and settled down to raise a family. At this stage in life, you’re not alone if you no longer view city life through rose-colored glasses. Gradually, you realize you’re tired of facing the realities of city life like:

Finding parking spots

Carrying groceries through streets and up flights of stairs

Dealing with noisy neighbors

Wrangling toddlers in small apartments with no yard space

Still, the city hasn’t entirely lost its allure. You hate to sacrifice what you love about the city just to overcome a few annoyances. Lucky for you, many suburban communities offer perks similar to city-dwelling but without the stuff that bothers you. If it’s time to consider a move to the suburbs, here’s how to do it without giving up what you love about city life.

Experience the Ambiance

The move from the city to the suburbs often causes people to wax nostalgic about the unique aspects of city dwelling. They don’t want to say goodbye to all-night take-out places, one-of-a-kind clothing boutiques, and well-maintained city parks. But, many suburban centers have similar perks. Plus, these sites are usually less crowded outside of city limits.

Make a list of your must-haves or nice-to-haves for a suburban community. Think rec centers, local theaters, concert venues, bars, nightclubs, or whatever else you typically do in the city. Then drive around and look for those options every time you go house hunting. Park the car and take a walk downtown. Go into the shopping mall. You might be surprised at the array of stores it offers. In short, be on the lookout for places that can become your new favorites.

However, be cautious about clinging too much to any one suburban downtown area. It’s only one factor in what creates a community’s atmosphere. Interact with the people you pass on the street. Many suburbs have replaced the isolated, city-life mindset with more neighborly patterns of interaction. Strike up a conversation with someone at the local coffee shop and ask about the area. Watch for friendly interactions among store clerks and customers to get a sense of the community atmosphere.

Visit Local Schools

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In the city, a top school frequently means an expensive private school. But your kids can obtain a quality education at a public school in the suburbs. No wonder almost every family moving to the suburbs has “top-rated school system” at the top of their must-have list-even families without kids yet. As you evaluate area schools, examine these factors:

Look beyond test scores. Kids are more than their test scores, and so are schools. Test scores are only an end way of measuring a school’s performance. Class size is a better indicator of how much personal attention your child will receive from teachers-smaller is better.

Examine all grade levels. You might be making the move to the suburbs when your children are barely in preschool, but you could live in your new house until they head off for college. With that in mind, visit schools for all grade levels in the area. Make sure the middle school and high school options meet your education standards, too.

Make sure your favorite extracurricular activities have community support. You can’t predict which hobbies your kids will adopt as they get older, but you can make a few good guesses. If you take your kids to the theater frequently, make sure the school district has a strong history of supporting the arts. If you attend sporting events, look for a school with an established sports program. You want your kids to have options when they start developing their non-academic skills.

Consider the Commute

For many people making the switch from city to suburb, the extended commute becomes a primary consideration. After all, what’s the point of finding a larger, quieter living space if you’re hardly home to enjoy it? For any community you consider moving into, think about these factors that will affect your commute:

Public transportation. Does the thought of fighting rush hour twice a workday send your blood pressure through the roof? If so, look for a suburb with public transportation options built for commuters. Don’t just locate the local train station on the map. Actually visit it. You need to know about parking availability and overall convenience. You could even take a test train ride into the city to time the trip and gauge the crowds.

Carpool lanes and toll roads. If you don’t mind driving, you’ll probably still want options to speed up your commute. When you make the hull out to the suburbs to house hunt, pay attention to the highway and calculate the cost of paying for less-crowded toll roads. Look out for carpool lanes. If you see any, ask around at the office if any co-workers would share the ride with you.

Working from home. Increasing numbers of suburban dwellers have cut their commute down to the time it takes them to walk from the bedroom to the office-they telecommute. That might not be an option every day, but your supervisor might be willing to let you work from home a few days a week.

Finally, estimate how often you envision yourself heading into the city for reasons other than work. If you think you’ll visit it more than once or twice a month, look for suburbs just outside the main hub to cut down on your travel time. That way your favorite city spots won’t be too far away.

Your trek to the suburbs can yield many of the amenities that city life does. Use these tips to find the perfect community and home for you. Once you’ve found it, call a moving company to arrange moving your belongings. Get ready to make new memories that will last a lifetime in a space that won’t feel cramped as your family grows.

If you want to make the move from the city to the suburbs, a local agent in your area will be able to assist you with all of your moving needs.

When planning a move on a tight budget, the last thing you want is to spend money on expensive packing materials. To help you pinch your pennies, this list will spark your creative problem-solving skills and save you money while packing for your next move.

1. Never Buy Boxes You Can Have for Free

Before you buy boxes for your move, look around your community for used boxes that people no longer want. Many businesses receive weekly inventory shipments, so they have an overabundance of cardboard boxes. These boxes may be yours, if you only ask.

Here are a few places you can ask for boxes in your area:

Online Classified Ads - Many people that have recently moved want to give away their moving boxes.

Home Appliance Retailers - Big stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy often have large boxes for items like fridges, washers, and electronics.

Grocery Stores - Grocery stores often have plenty of spare boxes. If you find old produce boxes, make sure they are dry and sturdy before you bring them home.

2. Pack Heavy Objects in Liquor Boxes

Wooden liquor boxes are designed to carry heavy glass bottles and cans, which makes perfect boxes for moving your heavier belongings. These crate-style boxes often come with handles, which also makes them easy to carry.

Ask the staff at your local liquor store if they would be willing to give you their used boxes, or at least sell them to you at a discounted price.

Line your boxes with your sweaters, pajamas, and other soft clothing before you pack your breakable items into boxes. This method not only saves you on packing material, but it also saves you packing space. You won’t have to pack your clothing in separate boxes, and you won’t have to throw away countless piles of bubble wrap after your move.

4. Pack Your Glasses and Stemware in Clean Socks

While sweaters and pajamas work well for larger, yet delicate, items, they don’t do as well for glasses and stemware. Fortunately, clean socks make perfect impromptu covers for packing glassware. Just slip each of your glasses into a sock and pack them snuggly into packing boxes. The socks will act as a buffer to keep them from clinking together during the move.

5. Use Dollar Store Balloons as Packing Materials

Instead of using expensive air-pillow packing materials, buy a few packs of balloons from the dollar store. Partially inflate the balloons and use them to fill open space in your boxes. Balloons absorb impact without popping as long as you don’t over inflate them. You can buy various balloon shapes to fill up different sized gaps in your boxes so your items stay secure.

6. Line the Sides of Your Boxes with Egg Cartons

Egg cartons are strong and lightweight. Take advantage of their design by using egg cartons to buffer the insides of your boxes. Egg cartons can take a beating, so they add a layer of protection for your belongings during the move.

7. Use Shredded Paper Instead of Packing Peanuts

Give your paper shredder another purpose in life. Use your shredded documents as filling for your boxes instead of packing peanuts. Shredded paper is good packing filler that would otherwise go to waste.

8. Put All Your Containers to Good Use

Gather your baskets, hampers, and luggage and pack them full of your things. This will cut down the number of boxes you will need for your move. You can also pack heavier items in your wheeled luggage to make it easier to move. Watch the weight, though! You don’t want to break your wheels by rolling around a shelf’s worth of books.

9. Sell Bulky, Unwanted Items on the Internet

You can cut packing and moving costs by selling some of your big, unwanted items before you move. If you have old items you can easily replace, don’t waste money moving them. Instead list them on a local classified site and pocket the proceeds. The fewer things you have to move, the less you will pay to pack them.

10. Donate Your Other Unwanted Things

Collect remaining items in good condition but that you aren’t able to sell. Bring the items to a local charity or give them to your friends. If you donate them, you may be able to write off the value on your taxes.

Follow these 10 simple tips to save money while packing for your move. The money you save may help you stay within your moving budget. And since these tips encourage re-purposing household items and reusing boxes, you can also help the environment by relying less on new materials.

Black Friday is all about saving money for the upcoming holiday, but how do you save for an upcoming move? We can help! Take advantage of Bekins Van Lines “This is Moving™ Relocation Program” promotion that goes from now to May.

What you get:• $150 off the price of your move
• Timespan delivery guarantee – We’ll deliver within the agreed upon window or pay you $250 per day
• 15%off of For All It’s Worth™ Full Replacement Value Protection
• $25 per day claims guarantee if the claims resolution letter isn’ t received within 30 days.

To receive these benefits, your move:
• Must be an interstate move in the contiguous United States weighing 5,000 lbs. or greater
• Commence between September 15, 2014 and May 1, 2015
• To receive 15% off Replacement Value Protection, you must purchase Replacement Value Protection
• Dates must be consistent with Bekins’ Transit Time Guide

Learn more about this special promotion by talking to your local agent.

You might be really excited about your new home, new job, or other changes happening in your life. But you have to admit: you don’t love the idea of packing up all your items and hauling them into a moving van.

On top of all the time and effort you’ll spend, you risk injury by transporting furniture and other heavy objects.

Even if you are in a rush, think ahead before you start grabbing boxes. Wear comfortable, closed-toed shoes and clothing you can flex in. Decide what path you will take to move each object and make sure there are no obstacles in your way.

Consider the weight of each object before you lift it. Professional movers estimate that a piece of furniture weighs about 7 pounds for every cubic foot (up to 10 pounds for sturdier materials). You increase your chance of injury by lifting items over 50 pounds, so you may want to leave those extra heavy objects to the professionals.

Depending on your size and strength, you will most likely need help from another person or moving equipment for some large pieces of furniture. You can use the following equipment to help lift heavy objects:

A stair roller. This metal device attaches to a single step and features a rolling bar in which heavy objects can glide over,allowing you to quickly slide heavy items down the stairs. Stair rollers are used most often for moving pianos.

Moving blankets or pads. With a moving blanket, you barely have to lift the heavy object. Slide the blanket underneath your furniture or appliance and pull. Use the moving blankets to cushion your products in the moving truck afterward.

Furniture sliders. These tools have a plastic base and foam pad that conform to the shape of your furniture. They work like moving blankets; you put one slider under each leg and push the item across your floor.

A dolly. Dollies come in two types: one that stands upright with two wheels and one with a flat base supported by four wheels. Either type can help you move multiple items at a time.

Tips for Heavy Lifting

After you have a plan and all the equipment you need, all that’s left to do is to start lifting. Be kind to your body, and use the following proper lifting techniques:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep one foot slightly ahead of the other for balance.